Do I need an alar base reduction or full on rhinoplasty? (Photo)

I see and hear your concern.  Alar base reduction can help change the configuration of the nostrils, but if you have concerns regarding the nasal tip then additional techniques would need to be used.  The tip could likely be addressed using the closed approach, which would shorten the healing process.  That said, the best recommendations come from an in-person exam, and it may benefit you to schedule a consult with a Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon to discuss your goals in greater detail.

The answer lies in the degree of narrowing desired and whether the tip itself is narrow enough. In your case the tip Looks nice provided you aren’t looking for extreme nostril reduction. Ultimately, the proportion of nostril to tip width is the key factor. 

If your only concern is the wide nostrils, then an alar base reduction will be very helpful. It is unlikely that is all you will need, since narrowing the alar bases can make the tip area appear more bulbous or even unnatural. This is why most surgeons would recommend a refinement of the nasal tip at the same time. After this, you may also wish to consider how you might look with some other subtle tweaks to the rest of your nose, such as slightly raising the dorsum (the bridge of your nose) or narrowing the bridge. This is why computer imaging and morphing software can be so useful - it can give you a preview of what you will look like with a variety of nasal modifications. It will allow you to weight the pros and cons and answer your own question of whether you will be happy with just altering your alar bases and tip, or whether you will want a more comprehensive rhinoplasty. Definitely interview a few surgeons who have expertise in performing so-called "ethnic" rhinoplasties - you will benefit from someone with expertise in this type of procedure. I wish you luck!

Hello and thank you for
your question.  Although an exam in person is ideal, from your photographs
alone it appears that you can benefit from a tip rhinoplasty with an alar base reduction to refine your nose and diminish your nostril apertures.  One thing I would ask is whether you have any history of bad scarring.  If not, then the next step for
you is to find the right board certified aesthetic plastic surgeon.  In your
rhinoplasty consultation, be sure your surgeon addresses all your aesthetic goals
and concerns specifically, and discusses the surgery details including the
position and size of the incisions used (with actual photographs and not just
digital animations), the risks and benefits of the procedure, recovery time,
and post-operative course.  Alar base reductions can be tricky but the subtle improvement when done right can be extremely rewarding to patients, so please be sure to see plenty of
before-and-after pictures in women who have a similar nose appearance to yours,
and preferably at different time frames (3 weeks out, 3 months out, etc) to
more accurately predict your own surgical outcome.  I
think the most important component of the consultation is to establish a good
connection with your plastic surgeon.  It’s the connection that allows you
to clearly define your desired nose outcome goals, the first step of this whole
process. If you don’t feel you have a good connection with your plastic surgeon
after your consultation, he/she may not be the best surgeon for you.
For more information on
rhinoplasty, please refer to the link below.
Good luck.
Mark K Markarian, MD, MSPH, FACS
Harvard-trained Board Certified Aesthetic
Plastic Surgeon

Thank you for your question. From your pictures it seems that you may benefit from a tip rhinoplasty and alar base reduction. A tip rhinoplasty is usually accomplished by reshaping the tip cartilage and the alar base/nostril sill. The would improve the overall look of your nose and make it more refined. An in-person consultation is important to clearly define your goals and make the right surgical plan for you. Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Dr Miotto

You certainly could benefit from an alar base reduction and possibly tip refinement.  It's best to be seen in person for a consultation for a full assessment.  Make sure you are seeing someone who has a lot of experience with ethnic noses and alar base reduction in particular.  Best wishes.

Hello and thank you for your question. You appear to have a bulbous nasal tip and wide alar base.  Based on your photographs, you may benefit from a tip refining rhinoplasty in addition to alar base reduction. Your surgeon can accomplish this by trimming, suturing, and reshaping the cartilage in your lower nose.  Make sure you specifically look at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery performed by your surgeon and not just a computer animation system.  You should be able to view numerous pictures of actual patients with noses similar to yours performed by your surgeon. 

Best wishes and good luck.


Richard G. Reish, M.D. FACS

Harvard-trained plastic surgeon
 

  A full /closed rhinoplasty can accomplish narrowing the bridge line, narrowing the nasal tip, while an alar- plasty involves simply narrowing wide nostrils.  An alar-plasty can be performed under local anesthesia, while a full rhinoplasty is performed under general anesthesia

HolidayT, I would guess based only on your photos that you would need both; but don't do them at the same time. I always do the rhinoplasty first and the fit the alar rim shape to the tip taking into account patient ethnicity. See an experienced plastic surgeon that specializes in only faces. Make sure they average at least 100 rhinoplasties per year for decades. See the video and good luck!

Thank you for this question. You may very well be a candidate for a tip rhinoplasty alone.  An examination would be necessary to evaluate the nose fully in profile.  Since you know your goals, discussion with a board certified plastic surgeon will enable you to obtain clarity as to the appropriate procedure.